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Nearly 6 of 10 Americans Will Develop Kidney Disease

01
Aug

Nearly 6 of 10 Americans will develop kidney disease in their lifetime, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

As a result, Tarrant Nephrology Associates backs the National Kidney Foundation new recommendations for annual urine screenings for patients in specific high-risk groups for kidney disease, which includes those age 60 or older and those with high blood pressure or diabetes.

nkf-urine-test“A simple urine albumin test during annual physical exams can help detect early signs of kidney damage,” says Dr. Ponniah Sankarapandian, President at Tarrant Nephrology Associates. “If detected early, the progression of kidney disease can be slowed with lifestyle changes and medications.”

The study, led by a team from Johns Hopkins University, combined nationally representative prevalence data on 37,475 individual with kidney disease associated mortality risk data from more than 2 million individuals to create a model detailing lifetime risk. The lifetime risk of moderate kidney disease was 59.1 percent, which translates into 135.8 million people currently alive who will eventually develop moderate kidney disease.

African Americans had a greater risk of developing more advanced disease and developing kidney disease earlier. The overall risk was highest in women due to their higher life expectancy and the dramatic rise of kidney disease risk with older age.  The study’s authors also noted that kidney disease risk appears to be increasing over the past decades, suggesting their results may be conservative.  The rise in obesity and diabetes over the past decades may further increase the lifetime risk of kidney disease.

For more information, visit the National Kidney Foundation and take a quick kidney risk check.